Your Mail 6-22-14: Louisiana state senator defends criticism of Obama

Senator's view

Recently, I have been contacted by a few people who are 'offended' by my criticism of President Barack Obama. I take this opportunity to explain, because I take seriously my job of representing the people of my community, my district and my state.

First, let me make clear that during my lifelong years in political science, law and government, I have criticized every single president of the United States. I have criticized Kennedy, Johnson, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, Nixon and everyone else. Curiously, no one has before been offended by my criticizing of our presidents, and sometimes my criticisms have been harsh and stinging (Kennedy, Bush II, Clinton, Carter).

Now, as I explain my three most-often used criticisms of President Obama, please ask yourself two questions:

1. Is my criticism a lie or a falsehood?

2. Is my criticism justified?

Spending: Bush created a multitrillion-dollar national deficit and Obama has more than doubled that deficit. Instead of cutting spending and paying off debt, Obama has presented a budget which increases spending 63 percent over the next decade and raises the national debt to $25 trillion at the end of the decade!! Only two other countries on Earth owe more. One of those is Spain, which is basically bankrupt.

When a nation gets into deep financial difficulty, who gets hurt? The poor, the marginalized, the elderly, that's who. Already, the D.C. politicians hate talking about reneging on payments to elderly who have paid into Social Security for a lifetime.

Justice: When a young black man named Travon Martin was killed, the president demanded justice for Travon because "Travon looks like my son would if I had one" (his words). When thugs kidnapped 300 Nigerian girls, the Obama condemned it because "these girls look like our daughters." Injustice and wrong should be condemned because it is unjust and wrong! Not because it tramples someone who is the color of your children.

Jobs: The policies of this government have put two-and-a-half times more people on disability than on jobs! No one who is stuck receiving only a little government check every month can live the American dream here in the land of opportunity. Government's job is providing opportunity for its people, not locking them into a peripheral marginal existance.

I represent one of the poorest areas in America. I would be a sorry excuse for a senator if I failed to speak out and to criticize policies and actions which negatively impact the people I represent.

I promise to continue speaking out against every injustice, every wrongheaded policy by anyone (blue, green or purple). Anything less would cheat ALL the people I represent. And on that day when I must look into the eyes of my Lord, my father and my mother, I shall not blink nor look away for I will have done what is expected of me.

Sen. Elbert Lee Guillory, State Senator, District 24, Opelousas

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